NITDA Takes Digital Reform Drive to Cross River, Targets 2,000 Civil Servants

Group photograph of the Head of Service, Mr. Orok Okon (middle); representative of the DG, NITDA, Dr. Aristotle Onumo (third left); DG, CRS MEDA, Mr. Great Ogban; and other state government officials.

NITDA Takes Digital Reform Drive to Cross River, Targets 2,000 Civil Servants

By Gloria Sarauniya Usman

ABUJA, NIGERIA February, 2026 - The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has urged civil servants in Cross River State to abandon rigid bureaucratic traditions and embrace technology-driven governance, declaring that the future of public service lies in digital excellence.

He made the call at the launch of the Civil Service Technology Empowerment for Capacity and High Performance (CIVTECH) Programme in Calabar, an initiative designed to equip 2,000 state workers with practical digital skills. Represented by NITDA’s Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, Dr. Aristotle Onumo, the agency chief said modern governance must mirror the speed and efficiency citizens experience in digital banking and online commerce.

According to him, digital transformation is no longer optional but central to economic growth and public sector credibility, noting that Nigeria’s ICT sector now accounts for a significant share of national output. Maintaining outdated systems, he warned, fuels inefficiency, weakens transparency and erodes public trust, while technology adoption can unlock faster decision-making, accountability and measurable performance.

Inuwa stressed that reform must prioritise people as much as platforms. Technology, he said, is meant to empower civil servants—freeing them from repetitive administrative tasks and enabling them to focus on innovation, policy development and citizen-centred service delivery. He outlined NITDA’s broader agenda, including digital literacy expansion, automation of government processes, strengthened cybersecurity and the integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Declaring the programme open, Cross River State Head of Service, Mr. Orok Okon, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to building a digitally competent workforce, while CRS MEDA Director-General, Mr. Great Ogban, described the initiative as a step toward a fully paperless civil service aligned with national reform efforts.